Railway-car buffer.



PATENTBD JUNE 2, 1903.

L.. MoKEEN. RAILWAY GAR BUFFER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 18, 1903.

2 SHEETS-8KEBT 1.

N0 MODEL.

I ImpenZ'or,

PATENTED JUNE 2, 1903.

T. L. MoKEEN.

RAILWAY GAR BUFFER. APPLIQAFION FILED FEB. 16, 1903.

2 sums-sum 2.

Z I VIII/IIIIIIIIII H0 MODEL.

Wi fnesgses;

/Q i -fawzeg/J.

and compact construction.

P TENT Patented J'une 2, 1903.

OFFICE.

T MAsL. MCKEEN, OF EASTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

,nAlLwAv-cAR BAUFFER.

s'rncxrrcArxon forming part of Letters Patent-No; 729,787, dated. June 2, 1903.

- Application filed IE'ehruaryl, l9O3. Serial No. 143,496. 1 (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, THOMAS L. McKEEN, a V citizenof theUnited States, residing at Easton, in the county of Northampton, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railway Oar Buffers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates more particularly to a friction-buffer for railway-cars.

The object of the invention is to provide a buffer of great capacity to cushion and absorb severe shocks and which is of simple, strong,

In the accompanying drawings, consisting of two sheets, Figure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of one end of a car and platformframe equipped with afriction-buffer embody.- ing the invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the buffer, on an en'- larged scale, in line 2 2, Fig. 1.- Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section of the buifer in line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a transverse vertical sectionof the buffer in line 4 4:, Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view, on an enlarged scale, of one of the friction-blocks. "Fig. 6 is a fragmentary horizontal section showing. a bufifer of slightly-different construction.

Like letters'of reference refer to like parts in the several figures.

Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings showthe improvements. applied to a platform-buifer of the well-known Gould type 3 but it will be understood that the invention is notlimited in its useful application to this particular. style of buffer, but is applicable generallyto buffers for railway-cars. Referring particularly to said Figs. 1 to 5, A represents the car end sill, B theplatform end sill,-which isconnected to the car end sill by longitudinal sills or beams, and O a metal casting or structure which replaces the ordinary center or draft sillsand also serves as a support or housing for the springs and. other parts of the buffer. D represents the buffer head or plate, which is carried at the front ends of a center stem (Z and side stems cl, which project rearwardly through holes in the platform end sill and are provided, as usual, with center and side coilsprings. In the construction shown this support or housing is bolted or otherwise secured at its front and rear ends, respectively, to said ,tal bottom plates g platform and car end sills and is provided with longitudinal side portions 0 and a rear wall c and intermediate of its ends with a transverse wall or plate 0 E 6 represent the outer and inner center coil-springs, which surround the reduced rear portion of the central stem and abut at their rear ends against the tranverse wall of the support. The forward ends of the center springs are engaged by the usual follower e, which is slidably supported on the reduced portion of the central stem ii'rrear of a shoulder e thereon. The light inside coil of the center buffer-springs is longer than the outside coil and permits an initial movement of the buffer-head before the heavy outside coil is brought into action. Thecentral buffer-stem projects rearwardly through the transverse wall of the casting G and :carries a wedge-block F, the rear end of which tapersoris provided with converging friction-faces f. The wedge-block is preferably loosely connected with the central bufferstem, so that in the initial movement of the buffer in coupling the'wedge-block is not moved or brought into action. As shown, the rear end of the central stem projects into a longitudinal hole f in the wedge-block and is connected to the latter by a key f which passes through an elongated slot f in the central stem. The inclined faces of the inclined friction-faces on the friction-blocks 'G,'which arepreferably provided, as shown in..the drawings, with upright longitudinal walls g, upright front walls g, and horizon- The friction-blocks are supported and capable of lateral movement on suitable portions of the support C, such as ledges h, which project inwardly from the opposite side portions of the support, and a horizontal shoulder or flange h, which proplates rests on the horizontal bottom of each friction-block and bears at its opposite ends upon shoulders 'L, projecting inwardly from follower strikes the outer coil of the center coil-springs, the front end of the slot in the central buffer-stem engages the key connecting it with the wedge-block, and in the further movement of the buffer, due to severe shocks or collisions, the wedge-block is carried rearwardly by the central stem and its inclined friction-faces, working 011 the inclined faces of the friction-blocks, spread or force the latter apart laterally and place the spring-plates under tension. When the pressure on the buffer is relieved, the coil-springs, which have been compressed in the inward movement of the buifer, release the wedgeblock and return it to its'normal position.

In the construction just described the wedge-block is carried by the buffer-stem and the friction-blocks and spring-plates are held from longitudinal movement and are only movable laterally. Manifestly, however, the friction-blocks and spring-plates can be arranged to move rearwardly with the buffer and cooperate with a stationary wedge. Such construction is shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings and is as follows: J represents the support or housing for the springs and other parts of the buffer. The support in this instance is of a shape to enable its employment with a platform having wooden longitudinal center or draft sills between which the springbox is located. The support is provided at its opposite vertical sides with inwardly-projecting shoulders or ribsj and with a 'bottom j, extending longitudinally of the support from one to the otherof the shoulders j. The rear end of the central buffer-stem K projects rearwardly through the platform end sill and has its rear portion reduced. L represents an intermediate or central follower which is arranged in rear of the front vertical ribs j of the support to slide longitudinally on the bottom of the latter. The follower is preferably provided with a forwardlyextending tubular shank Z, in which the rear end of the buffer-stem telescopes, and surrounding this hollow shank is a coiled spring I, which abuts at its rear end against the intermediate follower and at its forward end against a front follower Z which is arranged to slide on the reduced rear end of the bufblock, which is provided at its front end with oppositely-inclined or converging frictionfaces. The wedge-block is provided with a rearwardly-projecting shank which extends through a hole in the rear follower and bears at its rear end against the rear end of the support which afiords a stop or abutment for the wedge-block. n represents the coilsprings, which surround the shank of the wedge-block and bear at their rear ends against the rear wall of the support and at their front ends against the rear face of the rear follower. The rear end wall of the sprin box is preferably provided with a circular socket or seat at for the reception of the rear ends of the coil-springs. 0 represents the oppositely arranged friction blocks, which are provided with vertical inclined frictionfaces 0, engaging the inclined friction-faces of the wedge-block. The friction-blocks are movable on the bottom of the support 0 and abut at their ends against the intermediate and rear followers. P represents the two sets of spring-plates or flat springs, one set of which is arranged between each of the friction-blocks and the adjacent side wall of the support, between the intermediate and rear followers. The central portion of the inner spring-plate of each set bears against the ad jacent friction-block. q represents wear or friction plates which are preferably employed and are arranged to bear against the side walls of the support between the intermediate and rear followers. The front coil=spring, which surrounds the hollow shank of the interme= diate follower, is comparatively light and per mits the initial movement of the buffer in coupling the cars. When the buffer is moved rearwardly sufficiently far for the front follower to engage the front end of the hollow shank of the intermediate follower, the latter, together with the friction-blocks, springplates, wear-plates, and rear follower, are moved rearwardly against the action of the rear coil-springs. As the friction-blocks move rearwardly they are spread apart or moved lat= erally outward by the stationary wedge-block and compress or strain the sprin g-plates or flat springs which resist the lateral movement of the friction-blocks. The pressure due to the combined friction and action of the springplates gives the buffer great capacity to resist severe shocks incident to unduly forcing the cars together in coupling up the locomotive, sudden applications of the brakes, or other causes. The capacity of the friction-blocks and spring-plates to resist the inward movement of the buffer is much greater than can be secured by the employment of coiled springs, owing to the restricted space allowed for the buffer-springs in the usual car constructions.

I claim as my invention- 1. The combination of a stationary springsupport, a buffer-head provided with a stem projecting into said spring-support, a coilspring acting against said stem, a wedgeblock, friction-blocks movable laterally on ICC said support and havinginclinedfaces bearing against the inclinedfaces of said wedge, and spring-plates which press said friction-blocks against said wedge and act to resist the lateral movement of said friction-blocks, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination of -a buffer-head provided with a stem, a coil-spring surrounding said stem and acting to resist the inward move ment of said stein, inclined" faces movable with said stem and bearing against opposing inclined faces, two of said inclined faces being carried by laterally-movable blocks, and spring-plates which act to resist the lateral movement of said blocks; substantially as set forth.

The combination of a buifer-head provided with a stem, a spring-support, a coilspring arranged between a part carried by said support and a part carried by said stem, a wedge adapted to be moved by said stem, friction-blocks whichare movable laterally on said support and ,provided with frictionfaces engaging the inclined faces of said wedge, and spring-plates arranged between said friction-blocks and the'sides of said sup= port and which act to resist the lateral movement ofsaid friction-blocks, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of a buifer-head provided with a stem, a spring-support provided it blocks, and spring-plates arranged between E said friction-blocks and the sides of said sup port and acting to resist the lateral movement of said 'f1lCi3lOl1-bl0GkS, substantially as set forth. Witness my hand thisllth day of Febru= ary, 1903.

THOMAS L. MOKEEN;

WVitnesses:

J. HOMER REED, WM. G. BENDER. 

